Year of EU entry: 1995 Capital city: Vienna Total area: 83 870 km² Population: 8.3 million Currency: Member of the eurozone since 1999 (€) Schengen area: Member of the Schengen area since 1995
Austria
Guten Tag
Detailed map - click on the map
GEOGRAPHY
The Alps dominate the western and southern parts of Austria while the eastern provinces - including Vienna, the capital - lie in the Danube basin.
POLITICS
The Austrian Parliament has two chambers. The National Council, or Nationalrat , has 183 members, who are elected by direct popular vote to serve a five-year term. The Federal Council, or Bundesrat , is the upper house with about 62 members who represent each province. Its members serve a four or six-year term.
HISTORY
Until the end of World War I, Austria had been the centre of a vast empire, which controlled much of central Europe for centuries. Austria is now a federal republic, consisting of nine states.
ECONOMY
Austria has a mixed industrial and agricultural economy, while tourism is also an important source of income.
Vienna hosts a number of international organisations, including the Secretariat of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the International Atomic Energy Agency and the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries.
FAMOUS PEOPLE
Austria has a rich cultural heritage. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart occupies a place of his own as a composer, while the music of Franz Schubert also enjoys great popularity. In the world of philosophy and ideas, the work of Siegmund Freud continues to provoke controversy, while Ludwig Wittgenstein was one of the major influences in 20th century philosophical thinking. In art, the paintings of Gustav Klimt from the late 1800s are widely admired.
FOOD AND DRINK In cuisine, Austrian specialities such as Wiener Schnitzel and Apfelstrudel have become international dishes which need no translation.
Year of EU entry: 1995
Capital city: Vienna
Total area: 83 870 km²
Population: 8.3 million
Currency: Member of the eurozone since 1999 (€)
Schengen area: Member of the Schengen area since 1995
Austria
Guten Tag
Detailed map - click on the mapGEOGRAPHY
The Alps dominate the western and southern parts of Austria while the eastern provinces - including Vienna, the capital - lie in the Danube basin.
POLITICS
The Austrian Parliament has two chambers. The National Council, or Nationalrat , has 183 members, who are elected by direct popular vote to serve a five-year term. The Federal Council, or Bundesrat , is the upper house with about 62 members who represent each province. Its members serve a four or six-year term.
HISTORY
Until the end of World War I, Austria had been the centre of a vast empire, which controlled much of central Europe for centuries. Austria is now a federal republic, consisting of nine states.
ECONOMY
Austria has a mixed industrial and agricultural economy, while tourism is also an important source of income.
Vienna hosts a number of international organisations, including the Secretariat of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the International Atomic Energy Agency and the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries.
FAMOUS PEOPLE
Austria has a rich cultural heritage. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart occupies a place of his own as a composer, while the music of Franz Schubert also enjoys great popularity. In the world of philosophy and ideas, the work of Siegmund Freud continues to provoke controversy, while Ludwig Wittgenstein was one of the major influences in 20th century philosophical thinking. In art, the paintings of Gustav Klimt from the late 1800s are widely admired.
FOOD AND DRINK
In cuisine, Austrian specialities such as Wiener Schnitzel and Apfelstrudel have become international dishes which need no translation.
http://europa.eu/about-eu/countries/member-countries/austria/index_en.htm
Find Out: Where was the composer Wolfgang Amadeus Morzart born?